{"id":277812,"date":"2025-11-12T05:12:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T05:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/277812\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T05:12:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T05:12:09","slug":"jimmy-kimmel-celebrities-pay-tribute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/277812\/","title":{"rendered":"Jimmy Kimmel, Celebrities Pay Tribute"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hollywood is in mourning over the death of Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/a> mainstay Cleto Escobedo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jimmy Kimmel<\/a> himself shared the devastating news on Nov. 11, writing on Instagram<\/a>, \u201cEarly this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo say that we are heartbroken is an understatement,” the late night talk show host continued. “Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was 9 years old. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.”<\/p>\n

Jimmy’s fellow comics also shared their condolences, with Wanda Sykes<\/a> writing in the comments section, “Heartbreaking. So, very sorry.”<\/p>\n

“So sorry,” Howie Mandel<\/a> shared, while Jeffrey Ross added, “Love to his incredible family.”<\/p>\n

In an Instagram post of her own, Paula Abdul<\/a> recalled her first meeting with Cleto, who she toured with in the late ’80s.<\/p>\n

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